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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23866471">The tower</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHSPlayer/pseuds/TheHSPlayer'>TheHSPlayer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Invader Zim</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bees, Established Relationship, M/M, War, cloning</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:08:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,673</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23866471</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHSPlayer/pseuds/TheHSPlayer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It started with a war in a far away place. And Dib had always been a sensible kid, deep down.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dib/Zim (Invader Zim)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The tower</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It started with a war in a far away place. And Dib had always been a sensible kid, deep down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not even an intergalactic war, just a regular human war for something like territory, or perhaps oil. It was about gunpowder and grenades, about mild explosions and unknown people with names of different pronunciation. But not like Schwarzenegger, no. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dib had never paid attention to such things. Hours upon hours of spying on his old nemesis, Zim had never noticed that the human could get entranced in those types of news when he stumbled across them in between Mysterious Mysteries commercials, or in the radio when he was tinkering with his inventions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With time, the show reruns were boring enough for him to try other channels. If he got across the news, he frowned slightly, and watched for solid 10 minutes before going for the next best thing, reruns of old police chasing shows.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Adult humans were worrying more and more about this war. It had been extended for too long. Now there was conversation about other countries involved, other cities. Suddenly it was the neighbor’s kid enlisting, known people and known reasons. TV anchors blaming different sources of the conflict.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dib’s father unit had been called to help stop such a war, and he was out even more hours a day, more days a week. But the threat seemed relentless.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both Gaz and Dib watched TV for extended periods of time when their father talked, his camera in between two other anchors bombarding him with questions as hard as the countries were attacking each other. The distress was clear in their voices, but Membrane knew how to keep a controlled tone, as he answered and deflected ingeniously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For about five months, there was quiet. The news moved to other subjects, as usual robbery, economics, funny videos of fat dogs exercising. It was all about the new human obsession song, about the food items that caused poisoning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And about that time, Dib and Zim became a couple.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A </span>
  <em>
    <span>power couple</span>
  </em>
  <span>, by the way. It was all about them in hi-skool. It was all about them holding hands in public, about their bantering being familiar and loving. No TV time, because they were locked away in Zim’s lab creating stuff together. It was about the movie nights, and the snacks. It was about sleepless nights inside the sheets, and outside on the roof, looking at the stars with a small, yet powerful telescope.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Age had tamed Dib. Zim noticed the human was less explosive. Hell, even Zim was less explosive. They could get absolutely livid with each other, but once or twice they would harshly breathe in, and attempt a second civil conversation that worked more times than not.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They would share their planetary experiences. Zim would tell him about the endless hours of training, while Dib would explain how he rode a bicycle and scraped his knees at seven years old.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim had left behind his scandalous fuchsia invader clothing for scandalous fuchsia two-pieces-suits. He adored going formal everywhere. He paid close attention to his boots and pants, he would know how to  unbutton his jacket when sitting and button it back when standing. He never let go of the gloves, though, for the pollutants.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pollutants in the air were starting to get annoying lately. Computer had told him they increased about 12% since he had first arrived. His PAK worked harder every day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While Dib’s personality wasn’t the only thing tamed. His attire became more terra color. He blended in better with other humans, except for his height. His smiles were shyer, save around Zim, and whenever they weren’t together, he was looking at his phone, not at paranormal blogs all the time, but rather at the news popping up from time to time in his feed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They walked one day to a group hugging Torque Smackey, who had  announced he was going to enlist once hi-skool was over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And suddenly it wasn’t about the neighbor’s kid, it was a school kid.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim could sense the punch in the gut that it had been for Dib. A professor came in 10 minutes late, mentioning he lost track of time watching the news, and cracked a light comment about the war. He also asked for a round of applause for Torque, for “defending his country bravely”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As a soldier, Zim understood the importance of peer boost morale, and he clapped with the others.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Dib got upset at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought you weren’t trying to destroy humanity anymore!” he said, after a bunch of back and forth between them, with Dib answering sharp as a butcher’s knife.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am not, why are you saying that?” Zim was sincerely more confused than upset at this point, because nothing Dib had said that day had any sense to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You clapped as if you were happy that Torque wants to go to war!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I might not be an invader anymore but I know what it’s like to be a soldier, the honor that implies! You just don’t understand!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Neither of them talked to each other for a week after that night.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reconciliation came back through text messages, at 5AM, with Dib standing outside Zim’s base and Zim outside Dib’s window.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They met halfway, as usual.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Days went by until graduation. Dib assisted with a black suit made by Computer, while Zim used purple. They danced, ate, talked, kissed a lot. They sneaked behind the bleachers to kiss some more. It was Zim’s idea to do that, so Dib wouldn’t see the last goodbye the rest of the group was making to Torque Smackey, who left early.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Teachers were looking at their phones the whole time, and at some point they gathered in a group to concernedly look at the screen for a few minutes until some student asked them something, and they dissipated like a flock of doves suddenly faced by an overly enthusiastic dog.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When coming back home, Zim and Dib had sex in Dib’s bed, as Gaz was in the lower floor playing online videogames and Membrane wasn’t home. He hadn’t been for about two weeks already.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Next morning, they met with Membrane having breakfast at the kitchen table. He seemed exhausted, enough not to notice “Dib’s little green friend” using nothing but a shirt of his son. Maybe he was too tired to mention it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They got to tell him it wasn’t the best way to find out, but they were a couple, and they loved each other. This made Membrane soften his shoulders. He congratulated them, gave Dib a pat in the back, and asked him to take care of Gaz (and his little green boyfriend) while he was away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Again? How long this time?” Dib had asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be here before your birthday,” he promised, closing the door on his way out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dib’s birthday was in about a month.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Membrane couldn’t do it for Dib’s birthday. Or Gaz’, two months later.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He did make sure they were cared for, sent text messages, some video calls. Dib got a new jacket for his birthday and some money. Gaz received about the same.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>War started making itself known again. It was all about nuclear weapons, about biological warfare. It was about spies and immigrant policies. It was about “crazy” leaders. It was about budget relocation, about increased taxes and lousy military advertising with model families greeting their brave soldier in and out of the battle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And by this time, neither Dib nor Zim could look away from the images of destroyed places that looked less like suburban areas and more like central cities. Places with dust in the air, with broken glass, with kids crying and shaky cameras of brave reporters who ran with the rest of the people when they saw a random person running.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dib had always been a sensible kid deep down. He sat through those images with a compressed chest, and then he sat through the panel of discussion. He heard the reporters of different countries blaming each other’s leaders, until it was very similar to those disgusting reality shows of people yelling at each other slander for parallel parking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim turned off the TV at that point. He spent most of his time at the Membrane household just to turn off the TV when Dib couldn’t do it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Terra color clothing became even more apparent. Dib was trying too hard to look like the war zones, Zim guessed. Or it was imbued in his mind by this time. He asked lots of stuff about war, procedures, strategies. He asked Zim as he was himself a panelist, until the alien grew tired, and expressed so. His human was ashamed, and he dropped the subject for a few days. But Zim could see him scrunchy faced at night when they were tangled under the sheets and Dib was with an arm around him, and the other hand holding his phone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then it was the bees.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bees were endangered, dramatically so. The pollutants were intensifying,Zim had a little wheeze breathing, and the population was at the verge of disappearing. It was not salvageable anymore. Humanity was observing the wretched creatures go extinct, but Zim knew better than clapping now. Nobody else was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dib explained that humanity had about 50 years without bees. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim had about the same time until his air filter collapsed. Irk would never send him a replacement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Membrane started disappearing longer. Now working on bees and war. Dib wanted to join him, and he was given a cushy job  in Membrane Labs, far from his father, but working on pollen distribution, tree repopulation, eco-friendly fertilizers. He was so grounded on Earth that he barely looked up at night, missing out a full moon and a meteor shower.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He left in the morning, came back at night, exhausted, but with hope. Zim liked his eyes full of hope, but he wished he could join him. Dib assured nothing would make him happier, but ML had DNA scans upon entrance, Zim wouldn’t be able to enter without being exposed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They hugged tighter during the nights. Zim asked Dib to leave the lab so they could work together in his base. Dib said he needed the money too, but once he got enough, they could work side by side again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Enough for what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just like to be prepared” Dib babbled, half asleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Prepared for what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dib had fallen asleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>**</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Strange ships docked one night. They stood still for days, on the opposite side of the country. It made humans around them on edge. They were vulnerable, they said. The ships were enemies, they said. They brought bombs, they said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dib wasn’t around any longer than two hours now. He came back from the labs next door, he showered, pretended to listen to Zim during dinner, and ran back the moment they had a silence of more than three seconds long.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It will be all over soon” he promised, over and over, as he kissed him good night and ran back to the bees project. It was not advancing much.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So Zim grabbed his Voot Cruiser and went himself to check on these ships, cloaked into the night. He was expecting an eerie silence, windows closed maybe. He expected brave teens  walking around the streets at night and checking on those mysterious visitors.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t expect to see what he saw.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The city was already gone. The perimeter was closed, even miles before getting to the action. Rows of tanks and soldiers guarding the borders in a formation that was clearly crumbly-looking. It was an intense presence near the limit, but further from danger the military became police officers guarding the streets, pretending normality.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The media was lying to the country, the war was here already. It was full blown, and any data regarding that was being kept away from them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim kept silently staring at the army as he flew around, evading the enemy ships and drones that combed the sky. Irken tech was far superior to humans, even with a very old Voot Cruiser such as his; his little ship was advanced enough to avoid being detected by military satellite signals, so he wasn’t threatened as he had been the first year he had arrived on Earth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Explosions were beautiful. For an invader, he felt the flashing of bombs going off like scattered flickerings of candles from the place he was sitting. It made him lose the passage of time, while remembering his own missions and wars, when he was just a foot soldier. Humans were extremely careless when it came to building their own habitats. No irken home would be exempt of proper defenses against puny explosions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Certainly the Membrane household didn’t have them either.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That made him snap out of his fascination with human destruction and really take a look at the implications of this event for his Dib. Not for any other reason but stopping the scrunchy face of his human love-pig during the night. One less problem to figure out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But if he showed up to fight humans to stop their antics, there were two possible outcomes.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>1) He stopped the war, but humans would go hunt him endlessly, gathering strength against an outsider.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>2) Dib would find out that he was involved in the fight and think he was trying to take over Earth at its most vulnerable.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thinking about their fight last time made him shudder, and he turned around. He wasn’t fond of humans, and the Earth atmosphere was slowly poisoning him, but he would let them drive themselves to extinction, as the only one he cared for was Dib. Aliens had inner wars all the time, and how they managed to pull themselves from them, or bury themselves due them, was a key evolutionary process.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If he wasn’t an invader, he had no need to control the fate of the primitive humans.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>**</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Coming home that night wasn’t a surprise, when he found Dib curled on the couch, sleeping carelessly. Some cup noodles were sitting in front of him with a salad that looked like a handful of withering grass and something that looked like an old tomato. If Zim didn’t know he had worked himself to exhaustion, he would have found that image cute, remembering the old days where it was the excitement of paranormal forums and videos that caused this event.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim sat by his side, throwing a blanket on top of him, and removing his shoes, making a mental note to allow him an hour or two before taking him to bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However, Dib woke up minutes later, during an obnoxiously loud car wash commercial. He seemed exhausted, if the bags under his eyes were not proof enough. Still, he found the strength to smile at Zim, who thought it was one of the things he most liked about his human; he never lost hope, and a positive attitude with just a little nudge in the right place.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey” he whispered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Greetings, human” Zim joked, with a typical alien salutation that made Dib smile wider. “You should go to bed”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Join me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sleeping was not something that irkens did, but for the sake of the human he was not going to refuse. Despite what everyone believed about irkens, they were a surprisingly patient race. After all, it wasn’t love which made Zim spend six months in his Voot Cruiser on his way to Earth listening to GIR’s song endlessly. It was just the ability to shut down the secondary brain at will, apart from the inherent ability to stay still in one place for days at a time. An old trait on his DNA that came from the time that irkens were prayed for by bigger species back on his planet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So laying down in bed in complete silence, only accompanied by the snoring of his human was nothing but an exercise in patience if he could help Dib, functioning as a huggable pillow until he was ready to wake up again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you not asleep yet?” was the upset mumble Dib heard in bed, when they were under the sheets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Working on it” he promised back, squeezing Zim’s waist for a little to keep them closer. “I just… I just wanted to ask you a few things”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go on, then. You’re wasting precious sleep time, Dib-stink”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hah, okay… god, I missed you” he sighed to a delighted Zim, who allowed him to bury his bumpy human face against his neck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zim missed you too. Now ask” he insisted, wishing to finally see his mate resting finally.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… you know… I was a stupid kid, huh. I somehow thought all the problems in the world would end when you were defeated. And I knew people were stupid, but this… all of this lately… I love my planet”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I still am puzzled about why” ZIm joked. Dib ignored him but he did pinch his side a little.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I wanted to know… if you had succeeded… this would never happen, right? The war, the crime, extinction of our nature…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In Zim’s opinion, it would have never happened. He would have ruled with an iron fist to erase all sort of individuality for the sake of the Irken Empire. All animals would have been used too, catalogued, preserved in entertainment facilities across the universe.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If humans had submitted, nothing would have died under my ruling” he confirmed. He could feel Dib’s hands squeezing his uniform “But nothing would have been free either. I have no interest in this planet, other than the mate in my arms. Your people would have been slaves at most.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For harsh and catastrophic his words had been, the sincerity brought some sort of peace to Dib’s heart, as he sighed with depth, and continued focusing his attention to ZIm’s leathery terse skin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is normal,” Zim added, getting Dib’s attention “Call it nature’s trial. But every civilization in the universe goes through this. Irkens did, vortians, too… some of them reunite stronger after, some of them crumble. There is nothing more natural than species reaching rock bottom. That is the only way you can build a foundation”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course as a former invader, he saw the lost opportunity of conquering a falling world, and how despite them having old fashioned and easily disarmable weapons, Earth had many resources that were not being properly used by their inhabitants.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Better said, it was used by the wrong inhabitants. A conquered race would have never thought of themselves as different individuals one another.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But Earth is… I mean, we are not… we are civilized, we understand pain and…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your species is young, stinky” Zim cooed, stroking his cowlick a few times “But annoyingly resistant. You might have a chance against yourselves”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He heard an amused ‘oof’ from Dib, and finally the tension in his fingers subdued around him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sleep now. Bees tomorrow”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good night, Zim” Dib whispered, trying to kiss Zim’s lips in the dark, but landing where the nose was supposed to be. It made them both laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good night”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Freshly awakened and with actual food in his stomach, Dib allowed himself to call in sick to the lab, in favor of going to Zim’s lab, and work on the bees. Or at least something that could replace bees. Apparently Zim had some sort of aversion to face the shape of the terrifying creatures, and Dib had to confess every time he saw one, he had a craving for honey, and that was distracting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still, that day, along with the ones that followed, returned a little of Dib’s soul back into his eyes. Away from the news, and focused on a task that could be interrupted by the presence of his mate for the sake of affection was making the human think clearer, felt more capable and his shoulders far more relaxed. There was worry whenever the experiments were not functioning as they should, as well as some random moments in which he looked at his phone, almost expecting a D-day alert popping on the screen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He slept carelessly on the workbench until Zim moved him to bed, sitting with him to tinker with some minor details with Dib’s arm around his waist. The humming of the irken lab seemed unbeatable at lulling his human to sleep, and Zim wondered why they haven’t done this from the beginning, instead of suffering away from each other.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>**</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>About two weeks later, and several trial runs, the bees were ready. The first batch of a hundred could replace an army of about ten thousand. Dib had thought about pollen deposits, about emergency backups. He had created a firewall to avoid hacking,cloaking devices, oxygen filters…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everything compressed in a tiny metal creature that was smaller than a pinky, able to fly and defend itself if necessary, yet created to become the very hope of humanity, the solution to extinction.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t be more happy to wear his usual clothes, instead of the lab coat that morning when he called his father to tell him the news.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Membrane did not look glad to be separated from the endless meetings that he had to endure during the last few months, and Dib looked apologetic enough for the older man to let it slide. Also wouldn’t look good in front of Dib’s little green boyfriend to start an argument.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dad, I got it, I got the bees ready” he smiled, to his father’s surprise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh. I  thought… your co workers said you called in sick, son. I thought… you had given up”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No! Never! I got it, Zim and I created the bees, I just need to put them out, we will save the Earth, dad!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The high collar of Membrane’s coat did not conceal the tight of his lips, when his cheeks tensed under his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes… we will save the Earth, son. Uh, thank you, Zim”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The alien just continued looking at him, his antennae  flickering under the wig for the obvious lack of excitement in the voice of a scientist being told science would save the Earth. Membrane did not look joyful, but he wasn’t able to pop Dib’s bubble of hope at that moment. Not with a bunch of experts behind him in a long table, gossiping to each other.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you think I can make the presentation of the bees project?” Dib insisted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a snort behind Membrane, and the man severely scowled at the other scientist who coughed and avoided his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Son, maybe we should wait for me to be with... “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait?? Dad! You know how urgent this is, Earth depends on the bees! I can give the presentation, I will even dress in a lab coat.  Please” he added, trying not to make his request a personal urge, and more like a global requirement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Membrane had no time to consider this as it got clear when someone cleared their throat. The man massaged his nose bridge under the goggles.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Fine. You can announce the bees project. I will give you the instructions to present the new invention”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, dad” Dib beamed with pride, a more than superb look, in Zim’s opinion. And since the younger human had noticed Membrane’s reluctance to respond, he offered in a subtly desperate tone “Real science did it”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Membrane nodded once, and wished them good luck before ending the communication.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim observed how Dib, his mate, looked to the screen for the longest time, waiting for something else to happen. Something that could recompose his heart from the subtle blow of his father.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He must be busy” he excused the man, as he nodded to himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes” Zim agreed “He seems to be. Zim will help you prepare all, Dib-thing, come on”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>**</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...and this is the pollen compartment. It stores and pumps the chamber with oxygen to keep the pollen safe in great distances. It can hold up to 5 grams inside, more than enough to pollinize about 15 plants per minute. This model is completely waterproof, the battery is self chargeable.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dib smiled, as he continued the presentation with a strong soulful attitude to a bunch of old men sitting in a round table behind the screen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even further from them, a TV was showing some explosions footage, but the image was too blurry to actually understand where that was happening. It took all his inner strength not to divert his eyes in that direction as he showed the details of the invention.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mumbling continued among the humans, as Zim looked from the side, and gave Dib a thumbs up when he looked for reassurance, after being in complete silence for about 5 minutes, all by himself as the government authorities along with the environmental minister and some scientists were discussing something.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were also condecored military officers, something that seemed beyond strange, but they were at the very furthest corner of the room, and did not partake into discussions until the scientists were escorted outside the room, before they could elevate their voices.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the end it was President Man, sitting with a bunch of suited men, and two soldiers at the back. Dib was told to wait for a few minutes as they were discussing if they should release the first batch that week and where the place was going to be, but the idea seemed generally accepted. With excitement, Dib started to write a text to Gaz and his father. They were going to be so proud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very good, young Membrane!” President Man smiled. The first human smile Dib had seen in weeks was contagious and full of hope. “Send us the batches immediately, we will begin the testing and if everything goes well, Earth will be saved.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, sir! I already sent it, you will receive it tomorrow” Dib had no doubt about it, his heart filled with justice and goodness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great!  We will send you the check and make sure to keep you on call if we require more”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean… yeah, to save the planet you will need many more, my calculations…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should start saving the US first, Dib. Let’s not rush too much into it, alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But the rainforest… midwest… those are critical areas”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Also, Dib… you must know that any invention created in the US area that is not trademarked belongs instantaneously to the US government, right? Payment in this event is basically a courtesy for your hard work and not something inherently necessary, neither is the use of such inventions.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What??”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good! I’m glad we are on the same page. Dismissed”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The screen turned off, and Dib felt his stomach revolting. A pressure inside his chest, and saliva pooling in his mouth when he felt the nausea hitting his entire body in a relentless wave of disgust.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was told he had saved the Earth, but he didn’t feel like he did, not for a second.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And he had a bad feeling about it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>**</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim sat in his control room, after leaving Dib sleeping on the couch. The celebration that they had planned ended up being an exchange of conspiracy theories which the irken did not want to enable, but he had to engage Dib somehow, to make him trust that the government was not in fact going to let humanity wither. In his desperation to believe the best, Dib ended up agreeing with fat chances and unchecked ideas, allowing his stomach to pass enough food to make him tired and cozy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That moment he used to look for a communication bridge with Membrane, currently travelling around the world in search of world peace treaties.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a surprise for the man to attend a direct call to his private number, just to find Dib’s little green boyfriend looking back at him with a serious expression.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh” Membrane ventured.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We need to talk”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>**</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey…” Dib greeted him next morning, as Zim was slouching over the table, and working on something that looked like a gun. “You didn’t sleep?”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t sleep, Dib-thing” Zim reminded him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I know, I meant… you weren’t with me, last night”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, that is true” he had to accept, as he turned around to get his hands held by a weak looking Dib. Emotionally tired, still with the shadow of concern behind his glasses. It was a vision he hated seeing lately. And it seemed like his displeasure was taking a toll in his human’s psyche as well “Zim apologizes, I just wanted to work on this”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shrinking gun” he confessed, showing the blueprints “Could considerably reduce pollution in this wretched world, if we aim it at the trash filled locations. Vortians did it in their planet, now they just have to collect every 200 rotations and throw the disposal at a dying sun”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Zim, that’s awesome!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a moved expression in Dib’s eyes, something so tender dedicated just to him, that Zim wanted to soak in it, bask at its brightness. The affectionate hug he received was both adored and yet, filling him with guilt as he wasn’t being completely sincere with his human.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dib had nothing but chances in his heart. For him, a former invader, for his neglectful father, for his treacherous classmates, for a putrid humanity. But Dib also was running out of chips to bet on others, Zim could perfectly tell. So he had to save him before he ran out of opportunities, as losing the warmth in his pupils would be a far worse loss than any dying star in the hands of a cold, greedy blackhole.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know what? I’ll go home to shower, and I’ll help out, okay? I think we could do this just the two of us” he babbled, looking all over for his trenchcoat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, that sounds good. I just… I need to refill my diamond laser cutter. It will take me a few hours with the Voot Cruiser, but we can work on this later on”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure! Oh, Zim, it's gonna be great! Best team in the galaxy!” he bubbled up with excitement, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend to steal a long, morning-breath-y kiss. Zim could not see himself able to refuse, as he returned the affection, tangling his antennae with the cowlick he scented all over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Best team in the galaxy” Zim echoed, joining foreheads with him, for the longest he could.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love you, Zim”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, Dib”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>**</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You look happy. Gross” Gaz mentioned upon seeing Dib’s face beaming when he entered through the door. It wasn’t too much of a scolding, but more like a statement that needed highlighting. She hadn’t seen her brother smile like that in months.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zim and I are going to save the world, Gaz!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, stop saying it like that” she mumbled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Saving the world, I tell you!” he singsonged, slamming the door of the bathroom.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>**</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He doesn’t answer to my texts, Gaz”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did he receive the first one?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No… he didn’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He must be outside the planet, then.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>**</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“GIR, do you know anything about Zim?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“UUHHH…. NO?? MASTAH SAID HE WOULD BE BACK”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but did he say when? Did he say anything else?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“SHHH, MONKEY!” the little robot chirped, ending the conversation abruptly for his TV  show. No matter how many times he tried with him or Computer, neither could give him a response, and Dib looked at the time. Zim had been out for more than 23 hours.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>**</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gazleen, where is your brother?” Membrane appeared in distant communication, using one of the old drone-tablets,  as she was preparing some snacks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi dad. He’s watching TV. How’s the work doing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, no… turn it off”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Turn off the TV, sweetie! Turn it off!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why??”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dib’s shrieking ripped through the air seconds later, followed by wailing, that made Gaz throw everything she had on her hands, and run to the living room where his brother was clutching at the TV’s borders so strongly that he was breaking the pixels under his fingerprints.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The headline on the TV claimed “Cybernetic Bees: The key to win the war”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aaah... ! Aaah!” Dib seemed desperate, shaking his head. Tears were filling up his eyes behind the glasses, and Gaz was struggling to find the remote. Membrane trying to get him separated from the screen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks to the invaluable help of the remarkable Membrane family, now our enemies will know the true power of the United States! You wouldn’t believe this family!” President Man beamed, as half the screen was showing his bees, created to save the planet, carrying concealed bombs, firing poison at the other soldiers, stinging and viciously murdering all that was on their way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The war was exposed now, as if they only were waiting for the final actor to show up to display its true nature: raw, aggressive.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last thing Dib could see was his own reflection in the screen, an old stock photo of himself at 15 years old by his father’s side. The image was focused on himself, smiling and without a single worry in his eyes, complemented with the headline: “Creator of the killer bees: Dib Membrane”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The TV was violently turned off, and Dib slid down to the floor where he hid himself from his father and sister, holding his head with both hands, and wailing his heart out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>**</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Irk forsaken dookie planet and its endless amount of florping animals…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim was fuming, as he stomped down from his Voot Cruiser, and took a moment to breathe. He had been… 76 hours away from the country, so it was logical to receive the barrage of messages from Dib the moment he put a foot down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had underestimated the planet. He had been around 12 years and still he had so much to learn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Or perhaps not. Not now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had also been practicing his apologies to Dib when he saw him. There was no way for him to have figured out that it would take him so long to collect  all he needed. Membrane had been grossly underestimating the size of his planet, and he made a mental note to also have a word with him about it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So he entered the human’s household from the back door that was lately opened at all times for him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The place was quiet. No TV, no machines on, no Foodio on sight… It wasn’t even night time for it to be so silent. And he knew there was someone at home, they would never leave unlocked if they had left.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ah. No, it wasn’t empty. He could hear voices from the living room. Dib and Gaz’s voices, to be precise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both of them looked at Zim when he showed up, and the alien received a punch square in the face by the sister unit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where the fuck were you, dipshit?!” she demanded, as Dib walked to him with a broken expression. He was utterly destroyed, and Zim couldn’t understand what was happening when he saw his old nemesis, current boyfriend lifting him up and hugging him so tight as to leave him without air.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is going on, Dib-thing?” he asked, stroking the cowlick a few times. He didn’t mention how much he hated being carried up in a patronizing way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought-- I thought you left me. You weren’t coming, and--”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you thought I </span>
  <em>
    <span>left </span>
  </em>
  <span>you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It didn’t make any sense. Seriously. Dib wasn’t one to get depressed, let alone </span>
  <em>
    <span>cry </span>
  </em>
  <span>because of him missing. During the years of being enemies, they could spend weeks without seeing each other, and now without a reason he was thinking he had left? Where? He was in a far away galaxy full of planets of inferior creatures who still had fights with their own race. There wasn’t civilized entertainment around.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You weren’t answering your phone!” Dib sniffed, looking at him with the same eyes that were pleading not to call him crazy, to believe him because he was telling the truth. Same eyes he knew for years and years. “Where were you?” Dib insisted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… I am sorry. When I was there, I remembered more things I needed, and I started looking all over the galaxy. This place doesn’t have enough materials as I need, and…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dib was not focusing on him, or his words. He was waiting for something else to be heard, and Zim squeezed him and stopped with the excuses.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They… they used the bees, Zim… to kill more people”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What…?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The government used our bees to carry weapons! To kill innocent people!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looking around for help, Gaz shook her head a few times, disappointed and enraged, but it seemed like she had enough time to process this in a non immediately violent way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Dib? Dib was still unbelieving. He was devastated, wounded to his very core. He could see his hands with nails filled with dry blood, from anxiety-biting them. He could notice the lack of rest, the puffy eyes, the lips hurt and bitten over and over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t save the world, Zim, I made it worse” he sobbed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. You did the right thing for your people, Dib” Zim was completely sure of this, and coerced him to sit down on the couch, and keep him grounded “This planet does not deserve your loyalty”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the second floor, Foodio made a loud noise with a glass that made Dib jump in his place like a mousetrap, and sob harder. He couldn’t cope with himself anymore, and he had always been a sensible one, when there wasn’t more hope around him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dib was passionate and strong, and if there was a single ounce of hope, he would clutch to that with both hands, and keep the flame ignited in his relentless heart, filled up with justice and goodness. Had he been unorthodox? All in the name of victory, Zim could understand and respect that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This trembling human was seeing the horrors of his own peers, what humanity could do to each other and other species. He had tried being the hero once more, but neither of this war or the passage of time could prepare him for an inside job. The job of human stupidity and unfathomable greed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was too much for him. Years of skepticism in the shape of mocking towards him. Years of chasing an ideal that could never be attained… Dib’s coming of age was flooding with heavy, bitter disappointment that was exhausting his will to fight and resist.  Finally the dam was open, full force and defeated him to his knees.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim had to save him before the blood on his veins became as bitter as the air he was breathing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t do this anymore, Zim”, he confessed, when Gaz went for some food.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to do anything else, Dib-thing. Let Zim take care”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t do this anymore…” he whispered, falling to the irken’s arms, and burying his face on his chest, too exhausted to continue awake.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>**</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>It was during the morning, when they had just finished breakfast. Dib and Gaz had never heard anything similar, and they had met the sound of Earth slowly shattering due to the presence of a Florpus Hole.</span>
  <span></span><br/>
<span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Bombs were wildly different. They shook the ground with a powerful boom. It seemed beneath the earth, and for a moment Dib had asked him if Computer had been working on gathering power somewhere, as the aftershocks seemed to resonate over and over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Zim had looked through the window, fearing the worst. Indeed it had happened, and he grabbed harshly on Dib and Gaz’ hands, pulling from them with all his irken strength. The humans, as adults and bigger than him as they were, did not pose any resistance when he truly used his alien pull.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Move it, move it!” Zim hurried them, pulling to the main entrance “Don’t look back!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck?! That’s a… that’s a…!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I said don’t look back, Dib!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wind blew, pushing them strongly with the scent of sulfur, dirt, burned hair and </span>
  <em>
    <span>meat</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It was so stubbornly strong it seemed determined to tattoo itself in their olfactory receptors.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim got them to the garage where he pulled Tak’s ship, dead by then and he opened the cockpit, pushing them inside to insulate them from the nuclear waste coming to them soon. Dib yelled something desperate that was muffled by the screaming of the rest of the humans running desperately in the opposite direction of the mushroom cloud. Zim saw him struggle to open the cockpit to get Zim in, to leave Gaz’ arms, holding him back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim towed Dib and Gaz to his Voot Cruiser, before jumping in and closing the chamber, ignoring the exposure when he took off in what clearly were two alien ships, as far and as fast away as possible from there.  Their cabins could hold for a few minutes, but if Zim was correct, then the heat would become too unbearable when they actively attacked the place they were initially aiming for: Membrane Labs. The first bomb had been a courtesy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once in the stratosphere, Zim plunged the battery to Tak’s ship, to provide a communication passage. The cabin lit for Gaz and Dib who punched the com button like it was the reason for all of Earth's problems.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could hear Dib’s heavy breathing, and some incoherent babbling. Sounded as trying to compose himself as Gaz remained eerily silent, which only proved the emotional distress they were both in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zim…?” managed to call his human mate, as they were both ships floating in the nothingness above the mushroom cloud, safely far enough from them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was nothing Zim could say about mourning the fate of a race he always hated, so as he contained himself from clapping in the past, he opted for not mentioning anything now either.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dad...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gaz’s voice cut the silence weakly, as she was trying to remember if he was travelling still, if he was too far away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We need to find dad.” she repeated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I will take you to him” Zim concluded, refraining to add it might be best to also leave. Any inhabited planet would be good to wait in, as the catastrophe would pass, but secretly, Zim didn’t believe in that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Earth was young and stupid like a newborn blackhole. It was greedy and mindless, chaotic. It depended on consuming until wasting precious resources and then blamed it on human nature. Self destructive and void of mercy, that was no place for Dib.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Precious, valiant Dib. Dib with his most sincere wish to protect the chaos. To contain it between his little hands, not realizing his fingers were consumed one by one by the endless darkness of the putrid stomach of selfishness. He was a beacon of hope in a world of blind, pitch dark figures. An entertainer of the universe’s sick circus of shit where the public not only cheered for the wicked, but also ate it and expelled it half dead to see it rise and chew it again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was being chewed on, by his father, by his peers, by his species, and he still had the capacity to shed tears of sincere pain. He loved Earth so much.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim was jealous of that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took two hours and some scouting, but Membrane was alive and safe, sitting outside a federal safety building and clutching at his head desperately. His goggles were thrown to a side, exposing his ocular implants, full of tears dripping heavily on his cheeks. Probably thinking the lack of contact of his kids meant they were dead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The hug they tangled in seemed eternal. Was elated, and Zim thought from a distance that it was the first time he actually could understand family warmth. Not human warmth, but at least part of it. The part that was worth saving.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Minimoose, gather GIR and the base” he instructed his minion, giving him the coordinates of their current location.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t even with his implants and wig when faced Membrane, and also received a tight embrace.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for saving my children”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just did it for Dib”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zim, you’re not wearing your disguise!” Dib reasoned once he was back on the ground, and noticed the same. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He knows I’m an alien. I told him… before leaving”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Too saturated to receive any more truths, Dib looked at them dumbfounded, as he was trying to place the puzzle parts together, but he needed help to achieve it. Membrane placed a hand on his and Gaz’s shoulders, as Zim went to touch Dib’s free hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we should leave. For good”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s going to be okay, children”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a harsh gasp, and smaller pulses of air coming from Dib, feeling he was missing a big chunk of the story, and looking at Gaz to figure it out. She couldn’t help him, as surprised as he was, and they both looked at their father and Zim, who seemed to have gotten to an agreement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I tried. The negotiations… they were not agreeable. The war is involving more countries than expected, and soon enough, the bees project, some of my old projects…” Membrane seemed as hurt as Dib himself,  and squeezed his hands in tight fists, impotent of anything else. “I am sorry, son. But this will not end well”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was the perfect fucking moment for Zim to talk, and the silence they had for a moment made both siblings look at him like trying to figure out more of the story. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My PAK is having a hard time processing the oxygen. It was hard already, but it will be just a matter of two, maybe three nuclear explosions… I won’t be able to breathe, neither will you, or any other human.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zim contacted me, son. He would work by your side, strongly, to save humanity. But in case he couldn’t… well…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have a back up plan”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gaz sucked air in, sharply. Her mind was way more fresh to process their words, what they might be implying, and how their minds would work. Membrane his father, a man too prideful of his work to be able to push errors under the carpet without remorse, along with Zim, an alien engineered artificially and without affection for this planet. Neither of them were strangers to cloning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t mean…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Dib asked, desperate. “Dad? What do you both mean?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dib…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Membrane held both his shoulders, cleaning up his tears with his thumbs, and seeing not an adult man, but a hope filled little boy, who was nothing but a dreamer of universes. His poor insane son, whose only insanity was believing there was hope for humanity during free will.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I asked Zim to collect DNA from all over the planet. From every species, every plant, every soil… I asked him to look all over the galaxy for a new home. A perfect home”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Earth is our home!” Dib argued, looking shocked and betrayed, but too weak to close his mind to the idea.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Earth is all wrong, son. All our efforts are ignored, all the imperfection, the pollution! It’s taking a toll on your  boyfriend as well. When he told me he was an alien, how he tried to invade… Dib, I thought of you, how much you wanted me to believe, how deep your passion was to protect this planet. But this planet was already poisoned.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Membrane looked behind him. Far, miles and miles, he could see another  explosion, just a tiny strand of smoke rising to the stratosphere,  and the roar of the earth, shattering some more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I got so scared, children” he continued, holding Gaz’s hand tenderly “I got scared, because any parent will want to give the best to their children, but this world was already poisoned and broken. I realized, I was so caught up on making this world better for you, that I didn’t realize, I could make my own”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dad, you’re… you’re crazy!” Dib protested, in a whisper. The same taboo word that was used with him, not defining the same man who created him, who pointed his finger at his face and claimed to be in the right.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, not crazy! Not me, not you! Dib, we can make this world better, the four of us! I will never doubt you again, we can create a new civilization! New people, better people! No one will meet hunger, or death, or pain… nobody will know a single day of sadness, and we will have ships to explore and exchange with other races.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Membrane started walking slowly towards the ships, holding Dib and Gaz’s hands between his own, as he smiled. His smile was so bright it could be noticed even under the collar of his lab coat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim jumped on his Voot Cruiser, exploring the planets available. Seven. By this point, the only thing they had to worry about was to find a pleasant looking continent arrangement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It will be great, you guys”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We don’t have… we don’t have enough people to procreate…” Dib tried softly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have enough DNA to clone them. We can make them perfect, perfect as both of you, my children. Everyone will be smart, and will know about you. Everyone will know that my daughter is a promising strategic star, and the most capable woman in existence. Everyone will know about my son, the paranormal scientist who opened the door to the universe for us to thrive. We will make the rules, and everything will be perfect”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once they were inside TAK’s ship, Membrane held them both tightly, soothing their breathing, cooing at them as if he found them newborn, awake for the first time. He had never felt this passion to be paternal, just because the moment they were created, he was still trying to solve world hunger. He saw himself younger,  fearing to present his kids with poverty and sad images that could be imbued in their young minds. He had failed them so much, but never again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim took off once Minimoose had brought GIR and the little pod with his base. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They all looked down to Earth, when it started bursting over and over with tiny little balls of smoke from their distance. Over and over, like a boiling pot of dirt, agitating the air until it became a sphere of brown filthy mud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Setting course to quadrant X-34” Zim announced over the comm. “Dib… what do we call it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Call what?” he asked, utterly lost until he saw the image of a beautiful planet, full of green and blue, surrounded by seven visible moons, and a warm young sun.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked around, at Gaz who was blocking herself with videogames, and his father, who nudged him to choose the new name of their home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The continents had a lovely shape, mountains everywhere. The land was joined in a gigantic pangea with different tones, white in the poles, beautifully orange in the middle.  The more he looked at the holographic rendition, the more he could hear Membrane’s voice in his mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Everything will be perfect.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mothera” he whispered, as he saw the shape of a moth in there, as well as being the new womb of civilization.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mothera” Membrane echoed, pride filling his voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds kind of cool” Gaz agreed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Set course for Mothera” Zim confirmed, satisfied.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t wait to surprise Dib with the DNA he had collected of a strange creature that looked exactly as the Big Foot he had always been chasing.  He couldn't wait to create ghosts for him, and watch the light in his eyes at full force.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His Dib was always a sensitive kid, however the problem was not him, but the cruel world he had grown in. Now it was solved, buried under the carpet, and never to be spoken again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zim was really good at forgetting, it wouldn’t be hard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>The end.</p>
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